The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-02-23
PRAIRIE HENS.
HUNTING THE CAUTIOUS BIRDS
IN KANSAS.
Discovering Their Midday Haunts
"A Fine Days Sport With
Gun and DoG-Habits
of tho Birds.

Gun and Dos-Habits
of tho Birds.
Frank Wilkeson writes as follows in
the New York Sun: Large numbers of
prairie chickens are still in Kansas, but
they, as rule, no longer frequent wheat
stubble to feed. They have learned that
wheat stubblc is dangerous feeding
ground for young and presumably ten
der prairie chickens.
I was firm believer in the theory that
the proper time to shoot chickens was
in the morning and evening, and that
the place was a stubble field. Occa-
sionally hunted on the prairie and dur.
ing the hca. of the day, but generally
had poor luck, and the evident distress
of nv dog worried me 20 sharply that I
did not enjoy the sport. knew that
the birds were on the prairie, but l, nor
no other man, knew where they were.
About three miles to the southeast from
my ranch a high, rocky hill rose above a
piece of arid upland. Five ravincs headed
on the tanks OF this hill. Starting as slight
furrows to carry off the heavy rainfall,
which runs of of sloping prairie as
water from shinglcd roof, they were
gullics three or four feet deep and eight
or ten feet wide before they left the hill.
Then the flowing water cut deeply and
widely into the less resistlul soil of the
uplands and made miniature canyons.
which were from eight 10 fifteen feet
deep and from twenty to forty feet wide,
and finally discharging their waters into
the never-failing creeks through deep
ravine. These rayincs were dry, cx-
cepting for short period Immediately
after a rain had fallen. The bottoms Of
these gullies were covered with rank
growth of high, course grass, which re-
mained green long alter the compare
lively short upland grass had been cured
by the blazing Kansas sun. One day,
while riding after cattle, entered the
ravines which headed on the high hill.
1t was in August and about noon. Co.
vey after covey of prairie chickens rose
out of the thick green grass. All
around me I heard the brisk whirr Of
their wings as they rose and flew to set
tie in the scanty, sun-drcd hefbaSc OH
the uplands. had found the monday
home Of the grouse.
That night, as I sat on my front porch
smoking pipe, my setter dog, Ney,
came to me and thrust her short muzzle
into my half closed hand. l stroked her
head and said: "Ney, my girl, l have
found the place where the prairie chick
ems stay during the heat of the day. You
andI will have a hunt tomorrow, and
such hunt, old girl" The dog under
stood the meaning of the word hunt as
we'll as I did, and she eagerly ana ner.
vously thumpcd her approval of the pro-
jected hunt on the Loor with her tail.
Then she, ever keen to enjoy the pleas
urcs of the chase, vociferously suggested
that we 60 at once.
About noon the next day I filled
water keg, placed it and Ney ia a wagon,
got boy to drive for me, and we went
to the hill. I told the boy to keep about
fifty Yards behind me and to drive along
the edge of the ravine. Ney and I
walked into the high grass. The heat
was intense. The hot air quivered and
waved. The dog, obcdicnt to my order,
and continually cautioned to ''take it
easy" ego slow" ''steady, steady,
steady, old girl" worked slowly TO and
fro across the narrow rayinc and through
the high grass. Speedily she found
birds, and stood trembling, with her
neck bent and her nose quivering and
her eyes blazing. walked in ahead Of
her, and the birds got up lazily and at
intervals. 1 was hainpcred with u muz-
zle-loading gun, and necessarily lost
many shots, and missed onc-third OF
the birds I shot at. was not good
shot, and the continual whirr, whirr,
whirr of grouse's wings ratified me. AS
shot a covey out tee dog brought the
dead birds to me. When they were all
gathered I piled them on the edge OF
the bank Tor the boy to pick up. When
reached the bottom land, ab"ut three
quarters of mile from the point ut
which started. bcckoncd the boy. lie
drove up.
Isave Ncy drink, and wet her down
thoroughly with water from the kcg
Then we sat in the shadow cast by the
wagon to cool off. We looked at one
another. The intelligent dog almost
said: well, that was hunt" and she
rolled over on her back and clawed the
air in excess OF glce. The boy and l
counted the birds as we dropped them
one by one into a large sack. There
were thirty-six. For every two I had
shot I had missed one, and had
flushed at least six for every one | shot
at. If 1 had had breech- loading gun
and plenty of cartridges, and
could have shot as accurately
as did later in life. I could have killed
$50 birds during that short walk. had
left home with the intention of shooting
all five ravines, but of course I aban-
doned that intention and shot no more
that day. But out of the five ravines
which headed on that high, rocky hill,
I drew my supply of meat to feed the
men who thrashed my crop. For several
years I drew the larger portion of my
summers supply of fresh meat out OF
those ravines. Hunters could come aud
hunters could 60 to and from my no Sc,
and hunted with them, but never on
this hill. Suddenly, with no previous
diminuton in the number of the birds,
the grouse quit seeking shelter i'll the
tall coarse grass, and that instinct has be-
come hereditary in Kansas grouse. For
years have not found prairie chicken
in the tall grass which stands on the bot
toms of the ravines.
Last fall when was in Kansas, was
bunt;,p IN fbo orues which SlrrOuuls nv